Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Sin of Nationalism

The Unpardonable Blasphemy of turning the Church into a National Institution

With the fall of communism, some nations with a history of Orthodoxy
would seek to establish the Orthodox Church as a State Church, something
that history tells us can be a big mistake. When the Bolsheviks
defeated Imperial Russia, the former government's close ties with the
Church led to the wholesale murder of countless bishops, priests,
monastics, and faithful, all seen as an inseparable part of the
government. The institution of the Church was seen as so closely tied to
the former government, the new government sought to completely destroy
the Church.

When we behold the Church in the light of how the
Church sees herself, we realize as Christians, our true nation is not
the country of our birth, but the Church herself. We Orthodox Christians
belong to Christ and His Church. Our true nation is therefore the
Church.

Whether we are Americans, Russians, Greeks, or
Norwegians, by birth, our second birth in baptism has made us members of
the nation of Orthodoxy. I am an American by my first birth, but in
baptism my nation is Orthodoxy, and I am of one nation with all Orthodox
Christians throughout the world.

This unity of Faith is based
on a personal relationship with Christ, Who is the head of His Church.
Our true nationality is not based on political ideology, be it
democratic, socialist, or monarchical, but on our common baptism that
has united us to Christ, and to each other as the Body of Christ, the
Church.

Saint Justin Popovitch wrote, "The Church is
ecumenical, catholic, God-human, ageless, and it is therefore a
blasphemy — an unpardonable blasphemy against Christ and against the
Holy Spirit — to turn the Church into a national institution, to narrow
her down to petty, transient, time-bound aspirations and ways of doing
things. Her purpose is beyond nationality, ecumenical, all-embracing: to
unite all men in Christ, all without exception to nation or race or
social strata".

Great-martyr Marina (Margaret) of Antioch in Pisidia (4th c.).
Venerable Irenarchus, abbot of Solovki (1628).
Venerable Leonid, abbot of Ust-Neduma (Vologda) (1654).
Translation of the relics of Venerable Lazarus, monk, of Mt. Galesion near Ephesus (1054)."Svyatogorsk" (1569) Icon of the Mother of God.
Child Martyr Prince Kenelm of Wales (821) (Celtic & British).
Martyrs Speratus and Veronica (Greek).
St. Euphrasius of Ionopolis, bishop (Greek).
St. Timothy, fool-for-Christ of Svyatogorsk near Pskov (1563).You can read the life of the saint in red, by clicking on the name.

THANKS to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support
of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have
impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate,
have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and
kindness.

With love in Christ,Abbot Tryphon

Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:

The Scripture Readings for the Day

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Greeting

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Matthew 13:24-30

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let
both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will
say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”